Nutrition for Exercise Recovery & Refueling with Chocolate Milk

Diana Savani, RD, LDN

This post is sponsored by Granite State Dairy Promotion as part of the Refuel with Chocolate Milk Campaign.

The Importance of Recovery

After crushing a hard workout, it is time to recover and give your body the nutrition it needs to properly rehydrate, replenish glycogen stores, and repair muscles. Don’t forget about the precious triple R’s post-workout (rehydrate, replenish, repair)! Including good old water into your post-workout routine is always a good idea, but the longer or harder your workout was, the more likely you are to need additional electrolytes, like sodium and potassium. Allowing your body to recover properly after a workout will allow your body to prepare for the next one, helping you to perform even better the next time around.

Nutrition for Recovery

Eating a meal or snack that is rich in carbohydrates and protein within an hour of finishing your workout can help replenish glycogen stores efficiently to build up fuel for your next workout, since the enzymes responsible for forming glycogen are very active at this time. Prioritizing restoring glycogen stores and repairing muscles helps the body recover and build strength, preparing for the next round of exercise to come.

Carbohydrates overall get a bad reputation. Unfortunately, many adults, even athletes, fear carbohydrates due to the common misconception that they lead to unwanted weight gain. It is vital, for anyone looking to maintain a strong body for the long-lasting ability to exercise and optimal performance during exercise, to understand that carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel for exercise and should be incorporated into an overall well-balanced diet each day for optimal energy stores. Eating enough carbohydrates before and after exercise is crucial for ensuring the body is equipped with the tools it needs to maintain strength, endurance, and performance during any type of long-duration or high-intensity physical activity. 

As previously mentioned, protein is also a crucial component of a balanced diet, especially for those who are using and tiring out their muscles with long-duration or high-intensity activity. When muscles are tired and pushed to their limits in hopes of building them stronger, they require fuel to be able to repair themselves and gain strength for future activity. A lack of energy will make it very difficult to gain, or even maintain, muscle strength that is necessary for the ability to consistently participate in any type of endurance or strength exercise.

Post-Exercise Appetite Suppression

Appetite suppression after exercise is common, due to changes in the level of hormones that control appetite and hunger. A lack of appetite after exercise can make it difficult to get your post-workout nutrition into the body for proper recovery and healing. If you are not feeling up for a full meal post-exercise, choosing a beverage that brings along electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein can help meet your recovery nutrition needs even when your appetite is lacking.

Refuel with Chocolate Milk

So, how much carbohydrates and protein is the most beneficial for proper recovery and muscle repair? Research has shown that a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 carbohydrates to protein is ideal for recovery and provides adequate nutrition for restoring glycogen stores and repairing muscles. Chocolate milk is a great option for a quick, convenient, and delicious beverage that provides that beneficial ratio of 3-4g of carbohydrates for every 1g protein post-workout. Yes, chocolate milk contains sugar (some naturally occurring and some added), but that is not always a negative. As mentioned above, post-workout, that sugar will go to work as the carbohydrate source to replenish glycogen stores in the body. The chocolate milk has the additional benefit of the protein for that extra energy boost and ability to support muscle repair. Compared to a typical protein powder that some athletes mix with water as a post-workout protein boost, chocolate milk has those carbohydrates for the additional benefit of re-energizing a fatigued body and preparing it for effective recovery that will support future exercise.

Just one cup of chocolate milk provides about 29g of carbohydrates and 8g of protein, as well as electrolytes that were lost in sweat, like sodium and potassium, which are necessary to restore fluid balance in the body. All of these components support a strong recovery process, setting the body up to build strength and endurance capable of handling increased duration or intensity of future exercise.

A small study examined the effects of three different recovery drinks on endurance performance after exercise. In the recovery period, participants consumed either chocolate milk, a carbohydrate replacement drink, or a fluid replacement drink. The study found that those who consumed chocolate milk were able to cycle up to 51% longer at their next bout of exercise than those who consumed a carbohydrate or fluid replacing beverage for recovery.

Another study compared the impact of consuming chocolate milk versus a carbohydrate replacement beverage immediately after completing exercise among high school athletes. This study found that those who consumed chocolate milk immediately post-exercise had significantly greater improvements in strength over the course of a seven week strength training program than those who consumed the other carbohydrate replacement source.

The combined benefit of the carbohydrates for glycogen replacement, protein for muscle repair, and electrolytes for fluid retention and hydration makes chocolate milk a superior post-exercise convenient recovery beverage. For those moments when you finish a long or intense workout and end up with little to no appetite for a recovery meal, chocolate milk is a great choice for quick nutrition to refuel, recover, and rehydrate, setting you up to accomplish your fitness goals. 

Takeaways

The key to maximizing your workouts and ensuring a strong recovery so you can keep participating in the activities you love is to fuel up consistently before, during, and after exercise as appropriate for the type and duration of exercise you are doing. Remember, it does not have to be complicated to be effective, and choosing the right food products that meet your needs and preferences will lead you toward achieving your fitness goals without sacrificing pleasure or convenience. 

To learn more about The REFUEL with Chocolate Milk Campaign by Granite State Dairy Promotion, visit – https://www.nhdairypromo.org/refuel-with-chocolate-milk